Well, in another 6 months the statement "Android owns 40% of the non-Windows tablet market" may well be true.

We'll have to see how effectively corporate IT can force people to ditch their Android tablets and iPads for ARM-based Win8 ones. I wouldn't be surprised if the FUD kits were already shipping, with new file formats to break sideways compatibility on a global scale and little comic book tracts for harassing the last few holdouts.

Do you think the popularity of the Google pads are pushed by lower price or the Google inclusion? I don't have any experience or knowledge of anything non-Apple and I don't use any Google services, with the exception of a rare Youtube vid (they do own that, don't they???) so I'm curious what the driving force is.

Do you think the popularity of the Google pads are pushed by lower price or the Google inclusion? I don't have any experience or knowledge of anything non-Apple and I don't use any Google services, with the exception of a rare Youtube vid (they do own that, don't they???) so I'm curious what the driving force is.

I would say, both.

Some don't feel like spending 600$ on ANY tablet. I'm amongh these peaple, i wouldn't use the tablet enough.
I like android better, main reason is called iTunes. I hate these software thinking they know better than us how to organise our stuff. I stay clear of calibre for the same reasons.

Do you think the popularity of the Google pads are pushed by lower price or the Google inclusion? I don't have any experience or knowledge of anything non-Apple and I don't use any Google services, with the exception of a rare Youtube vid (they do own that, don't they???) so I'm curious what the driving force is.

We have always had cheap tablets and instances of Google support yet they have never made a dent.

What has happed is Google has finally executed a flawless marketing campaign combined with a great product.

Here you have a full fledged tablet with specs better than any tablet on the market for only $199. Not only that it has the latest OS backed by the Google Nexus label which pretty much guarantees future upgrades. For the price it's still the best tablet on the market.

Prior to the launch google changes the name of the market and focuses on content/entertainment (google finally 'gets' the tablet market--their consumption devices)

When their product is launches it has full integration to the Play store. Not only that they launch it on their Google IO and give away all Nexus 7 to the audience(aka reciprocity rule).

Then comes Google's commercials which are spot on and tug at the right human emotions. For the first time my children are asking me for a Nexus tablet, I've never told them what it was Google has finally brought awareness to the average joe.

We have always had cheap tablets and instances of Google support yet they have never made a dent.

What has happed is Google has finally executed a flawless marketing campaign combined with a great product.

=X=

All of this is important. A lot of people are still asking themselves why they need a tablet, and while: (1) Apple has been pretty good at showing people using the iPad in useful ways; and (2) Amazon has also done a good job of showing people what they could use a tablet for, in a different way; but (3) other Android manufacturers have not been produced a compelling or coherent message. The tablet market is too immature to just present a tablet without more explanation...and as good as the hardware on Asus tablets may be, "Look, here's a tablet. And for $150 you can add a keyboard!" isn't a very compelling narrative to people who don't yet know if they want a tablet.

Also, going for a spot not already occupied by the iPad is a very smart idea.